Introduction to Church History (CH8291B)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

This survey unit provides an historical overview and introduction to key people and events in the history of the Church. It explores issues of significance faced by Christianity throughout the life of the church. Students will explore how the church and individuals have responded in the past and how this has made an impact on the life of the church and Christian expression today.

Unit code: CH8291B

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Church History

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Catherine Booth College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Demonstrate an understanding of key themes and events in the history of the church.
2.

Assess the significance of particular key figures of Christian tradition.
3.

Articulate specific ways in which thinking about God and questions of faith have changed throughout Christian history.
4.

Critically articulate the ways Christian tradition can inform faith in the present.
5.

Distinguish between and critically utilize primary and secondary sources.

Pedagogy

12 weeks of teaching weekly

Indicative Bibliography

  • Bradley, James E., and Richard Muller. Church History: An Introduction to Research, Reference Works and Methods. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.
  • Brown, Peter. The Rise of Western Christendom: Triumph and Diversity AD 200-1000 (2nd. Edition). Cambridge: Blackwell, 2013
  • Bettenson, Henry, and Chris Maunder (eds.). Documents of the Christian Church. Fourth Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
  • The Cambridge History of Christianity. 9 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006-2008.
  • Breward, Ian. A History of the Churches in Australasia. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
  • The Cambridge History of Christianity. 9 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006-2008.
  • Gonzales, Justo L. The Story of Christianity. Vol. I. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 2010.
  • ______. The Story of Christianity. Vol. II. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 2010.
  • Koschorke, Klaus, et al (eds.). A History of Christianity in Asia, Africa and Latin America, 1450-1990: A Documentary Sourcebook. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007
  • Littell, Franklin H. Historical Atlas of Christianity. New York: Continuum, 2001.
  • MacCulloch, Diarmaid. Christian History: An Introduction to the Western Tradition. Peterborough: Epworth, 2006.
  • ______. A History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years. London: Penguin Books, 2009.
  • McManners, John (ed.). The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990.
  • McGrath, Alister. Christian History: An Introduction. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. (recommended for purchase)
  • Noll, Mark A. Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1997.
  • Tosh, John. The Pursuit of History: Aims Methods and New Directions in the Study of History. Sixth Edition. Abingdon: Routledge, 2015.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

3,000 word Major Essay

 0 50.0
Essay

1,500 word primary source analysis

 0 25.0
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper

1,500 word Tutorial Paper

 0 25.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 19 Oct, 2018

Unit record last updated: 2020-08-07 14:16:22 +1000